Former University of Florida professor Tao Li oversaw $80 million in federal computer science grants while secretly serving Chinese state talent recruitment programs.

An investigation by Bloomberg reveals Li helped direct federal funding at the National Science Foundation while participating in Beijing's Dragon Star and Changjiang Scholars programs without disclosure.

During his tenure, Li was personally awarded $4.9 million in U.S. research grants and helped award funding to seven other scientists who allegedly hid their own ties to Beijing.

Although the FBI warned officials about Li in 2019, the NSF waited until May 2026 to quietly issue a six-year funding ban on a federal database without a public announcement.

House Select Committee on the CCP Chairman John Moolenaar called the case one of the most egregious research security failures uncovered to date.

By the time the ban was published, Li had already moved to China to serve as dean at Hunan University of Science and Technology, leading military-affiliated research in AI, spatial computing, and chips.

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